Secrets of the First
by DZ2
Summary: Sequel to The Demon of Hogwarts: Part 2 of the Black Knight Chronicles: Year 2 and 3 story: Sirius is free, Serena is going to Hogwarts and Harry's Power is growing stronger, but with a certain manipulative old man trying to tame the Beast of Slytherin that Harry has become, can the Demon of Hogwarts survive another year? Powerful-Grey-Harry; Harry/Daphne:
1. Demons and Dark Angels

Secrets of the First: A Harry Potter Fanfiction

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or any of its associated characters; all copyright belongs to JK Rowling; I do own any OC spells explained at the end of the chapter. Any OCs not recognised from canon are also mine unless specified;

**Plot: **Sequel to The Demon of Hogwarts: Sirius is free, Serena is going to Hogwarts and Harry's Power is growing stronger, but with a certain manipulative old man trying to tame the Beast of Slytherin that Harry has become, can the Demon of Hogwarts survive another year?

**Author's Information: **Hi to everyone and, before I forget, HAPPY HALLOWEEN! I've been waiting for this day for a long time and now, with my plans set, I have chosen to hear the calls of my legions of fans and post the sequel: so, enjoy.

Now, as always, I HAVE to say it: in this story, there'll be elements that people don't like, think shouldn't happen or may not make sense. For this, I say, once again, IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, THEN DON'T READ IT! I haven't come up with this story so that people can put down my work: if you don't like what you're reading, then STOP reading. From now on, flames will be used to empower my Demon within and other reviews that enjoy my work shall empower _me!_

**Dedication: **I'd like to dedicate this story to T-TrainOrTurkey-T, Winged Seer Wolf and StormyFireDragon for their continued support and kind words regarding my work. My recommended reads are Wolf's story _Heir of Wonderland_ and Storm's story _I Walk In The Shadows_. Also, if you haven't done so already, go and read the previous adventure, _The Demon of Hogwarts_ otherwise this story may not make much sense.

Harry/Daphne

Other pairings TBC

Normal Speech

'Thought'

/_Parseltongue_/

Chapter 1: Demons and Dark Angels

Harry still found it hard to believe just how much time had passed;

Only last spring, he had been running from Dudley and trying to hide and yet, after an intense twist of fate, here he was now, one day from his twelfth birthday with a family, friends, allies and, above all, a restored trust with his guardian and charge, Sirius Black.

Standing on the inner wall that looked out over Potter Castle's vast grounds, Harry felt the sea breeze from the North Sea brush against his cheeks, ruffling his dirty-blonde hair slightly while his intense amber-eyed gaze examined the world that was his own. After Sirius' farce of a trial that should have actually happened over ten years ago after the man was arrested in the first place, Harry had returned to the castle to a brotherly scrap between Sirius and Remus while Harry had sought out his sister, Serena, the dark elf revealing to him that she was officially accepted at Hogwarts.

One trip to Diagon Alley later, Harry returned with his sister wearing her Hogwarts robes, holding a cage with a beautiful snowy owl that Serena named Hedwig – who also seemed to get on well with Harry's owl, Cronus – and bearing a wand of Menoa wood and unicorn's horn.

With Sirius' help, as well as Remus, Zharka, Adrian and Elena, Serena managed to get her head around the first-year spells, though Harry, who had watched with pride at the progress of his blood-sister, actually felt that she could do better. She was his elder by nearly twenty human years and yet she had the looks of a thirteen-year-old girl, which was why she was attending Hogwarts as part of the _second_ year group and yet her magic, her magical core and her way with spells was…well, if Harry was being honest, he was a little disappointed.

Serena's kinsmen were revered for their magical abilities and, while the female Potter could do amazing things with magic without a wand and with the elements, her work with a wand needed some improvement. Alarmingly, Harry actually went as far as telling her about this little hiccup and, when he did, Serena was a little scared of ruining the family name for her Demon-Spirited little brother, a revelation that had caused Serena to leave and stay with Harry's betrothed, Daphne Greengrass, for a while.

Even now, with the late-afternoon sun shining down on him and the cooling breeze cooling his face, Harry still felt angry and a little hostile towards Daphne's reaction: she knew that he cared for Serena in ways that even the Greengrass Heiress hadn't managed to touch. When she challenged him about relying more on reputation than sibling love and care and support as she would for Astoria, Harry had retorted with a clear-cut response as he'd asked, "How exactly am I supposed to know how to act with siblings when I'm an only child, Daphne? I only recently adopted Serena and, in that time, I've had to rely more on my family's name just to survive the raging waters of the world's politics and corruptions."

Daphne had, needless to say, not accepted that easily and, when Harry asked her for advice on approaching Serena again, Daphne had thrown down the gauntlet as she'd told him, "Figure it out…before I take that open clause you gave me and you find yourself not only down a sister, but a betrothed to boot!"

Harry, understandably, had been angry and, when Daphne had left, he moved around the castle, using his powers to distract himself as he used the target range, swam three full lengths of the Olympic-sized pool in the Leisure Complex and even went for a run around the grounds.

Staring out at the sea view that could be seen from his vantage point, Harry let out a groan as he considered the truth behind Daphne's words: he knew that she had meant well, even with her threat to end their betrothal, but, all the same, how was Harry supposed to deal with this?

He'd never had a sister before…so what was he supposed to do?

_**Secrets of the First**_

Sirius Black, able to breathe the free air of the world once again, knew that something was bothering his pup:

Ever since his trial, the now reinstated Black Lord had taken care of business and managed to acquire his lordship while showing all due deference to the houses that represented him in the Sanctuary Plea from his trial. However, when Sirius heard from Harry about the full story behind his transformation and how he had become able to be the young man that Sirius saw in front of him, the Black Lord had been a little shocked, but otherwise content.

Harry was following his own path, which was exactly what James wanted and Lily had hoped for her son to have; yet, the day before Harry's twelfth birthday, Sirius was one of the unlucky ones to witness the heated argument between Harry and the lovely girl that was Daphne Greengrass and, in that moment, Sirius' shock had turned to horror when he'd felt the power of his pup let itself out through each of the tasks he tried to do to ignore his rages.

Sirius had never felt such a bloodlust in one so young: his Demon's Aura, as Sirius had learned the name to be, was on full display and, when he destroyed targets on the targeting range, Harry did the deed with fury, destruction and a hunger for pure domination with every attack.

After Harry had finally calmed down, Sirius had asked Zharka for any information on Harry's location and, following the path to the inner wall, Sirius found Harry looking out across the castle grounds, his amber eyes filled with a mix of confusion and remorse as he looked on.

Seeing Harry stand there, Sirius couldn't help but chuckle as he recalled the last time he'd seen such emotion within that thousand-yard stare from another man.

Irony of ironies, it had been the day that Harry was born…

_**Secrets of the First**_

_Twelve Years Ago…_

Lily's scream of pain echoed through the ward of St Mungo's, attracting Sirius' attention as he ran from the waiting room and, easily passing the doctors that were leaving the room, he moved inside, his eyes wide as he saw the scene before him.

Lily, her face caked with sweat and her eyes holding a look of exhaustion, was lying on her bed, a blanket-wrapped bundle in her arms, a small head of black hair poking out from the top of the bundle while, next to Lily, the new half-dark-elven lady, Serena Morningstar, seemed to be fanning the unconscious body of James Potter. Seeing his friend in such a state, Sirius let out a laugh before he asked, "Can…can I see him, Lil?"

With a smile and a weak nod, Lily passed the bundle to Serena before the elf walked around the bed and handed Sirius the bundle, the innocent face of the baby in Sirius' arms scrunching up slightly as though he sensed a change. With an almost disbelieving chuckle, Sirius asked, "What did you call him?"

"Harry," Lily answered, "After James' grandfather and, like the Potter tradition says…we gave him James as a middle name."

"Harry James Potter," Sirius whispered, looking over to James' still-unconscious body as he added, "And let me guess: Prongs missed the whole thing?"

"Fainted as soon as I started screaming," Lily chuckled, her eyes filled with delight as she saw Sirius trace a soft finger over the baby boy's brow; with a tired smile, Lily then asked, "Since…my first choice isn't around, would…would you like to be his godfather, Sirius?"

"I'd be honoured," Sirius replied, moving to the seat next to Lily, stepping over James' body in the process, before he sat down and, taking a bottle of formula from Serena, Sirius began to feed the baby while Lily lay her head against the headboard, her eyes closing as she finally managed to relax after the chaos of the day.

While the baby fed, Sirius looked to Lily before he smiled and, looking to Serena, he explained, "I promise you, Serena, by the grace of Merlin himself, I swear that I shall never turn my back on this little Prongslet: I will never hurt him and I will always love him just like his Mummy and Daddy do."

"I believe you, Lord Black," Serena replied, her voice soft and edged by a sense of submission that was only lightened by her address of Sirius.

Sirius, on the other hand, sighed before he asked, "How many more times, Serena? It's Sirius…aw, look…" he then added, seeing the baby's eyes crack open, revealing two powerfully-illuminating green eyes that were almost like Lily's. Waving his fingers at the baby, Sirius whispered, "Hello Harry, I'm Uncle Sirius…and I'm going to look after you; aw, look at your Daddy," he then added, looking to James with amusement, "Doesn't he look _SO_ cute when he's sleeping?"

Little Harry giggled before Sirius let out a sigh and, clearing his throat, he suddenly yelled, "JAMES, WAKE UP AND STOP BEING SUCH A PRAT!"

James awoke with a start, his arms flailing as he asked, "Huh…whazzat? What'd I miss?"

"Oh, nothing much, Bubotuber Brain," Sirius replied sarcastically, holding the bundle out to James as he added, "Just the birth of your son and heir, but aside from that, nothing much!"

"My…my son?" asked James, taking the baby from Sirius and, looking to Sirius, he gasped before he asked, "What…when…"

"While you were taking a nap," Sirius answered, looking to the baby as he added, "Lily's called him Harry and he has your name as his middle name: he looks like you, you know?"

"I'd be both scared and suspicious if he didn't," James chuckled, looking to the window of the hospital just as the rays of the morning started to show; in the light of the window, Sirius saw a tear roll down from James' deep brown eyes and, for a moment, the Black Lord couldn't remember the last time he'd seen such fire, such strength, in James' eyes.

"What is it, Prongs?" asked Sirius, standing and moving to his honorary brother's side.

"After today," James answered, "Everything will be different, Padfoot: I can't be a Marauder _and_ a Father: you and Remus are family and heck, even Peter's considered a distant cousin, so to speak…but, from now on, my job, my responsibility, is looking after my family…and making sure my son grows up safe, strong, loved and with the sort of company that makes him happy to be a wizard."

"Huh?" asked Sirius, looking again to those eyes, but, as he did, he only saw James look down at his son before he shushed the low gurgles of the baby as he went and sat by his wife.

'What was that all about?' wondered Sirius, looking out the window to the rising sun…

_**Secrets of the First**_

_Present Day_

'I never _did_ ask James what he'd meant by that,' Sirius thought as he moved across the wall, coming to a stop next to Harry before he asked, "Want to talk, pup?"

"I didn't know you were still here," Harry replied coolly, looking to Sirius as he asked, "Why aren't you trying to sort out your home, Sirius? Surely you don't think you're trapped here?"

"I know I'm not," Sirius answered, "But, right now, it seems that I'm needed here to play godfather: so…how about you let me help you figure out what's bothering you?"

"You wouldn't understand," Harry groaned, turning and walking away from Sirius: however, the ex-Azkaban inmate wouldn't give up that easily.

Chasing after Harry, Sirius cut off his path before he explained, "Try me: when you've been raised around a family like mine, you learn to pick up a few things. And, trust me, Harry, when you're the first Gryffindor Black in decades amongst a nest of Slytherins and their beliefs, you learn to hide your difference as best as you can."

"_I'm _a Slytherin, Sirius," Harry remarked.

"I know, I know," Sirius nodded, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder as he added, "But you're also my godson and I don't know if you know this, but I once made a promise not to turn my back on you. So, Slytherin or not, Light Side, Dark Side, it doesn't matter to me: I'll still stand by you and offer any and all help that I can. Now, how about you tell me what's bothering you and _maybe_ I can help you figure it out yourself."

With a sigh, Harry returned to the observation point overlooking the castle grounds, his eyes still holding that thousand-yard stare as he explained, "Daphne's upset that I'm trying to make Serena stronger: she says I don't understand what it is to be a brother and, well, I don't. But she thinks I'm being selfish and caring about the family reputation like some sort of _Malfoy_ wannabe instead of the caring, comforting side of me that I can show around her and around Serena and my friends: what am I supposed to think about that, Sirius? And, to top it all off, Daphne's also threatening to sever our betrothal if I don't come up with the right sort of response to this…so what do I do?"

"It _is_ a problem," Sirius reasoned, looking over to where Harry was watching the day pass by as he asked, "But, without trying to turn me into something foul or anything like that, could you answer a question for me?"

"What?" asked Harry, shifting his gaze to his godfather.

"Serena," Sirius explained, "You care about her…right?"

"Of course I do," Harry replied, "It's because of her and her compassion towards me that I'm not turning into the next Voldemort."

"Noted," Sirius remarked, "But, and here's the real question that I want to ask you, but, if you care about her so much, then why are you so uptight about her mastering her spells and honouring the family if you're _not_ thinking like that?"

"I…I just…" Harry let out a sigh that seemed to be tinged with a growl as rubbed the bridge of his nose before he continued, "I'm not having a go at her for the sake of family honour or reputation: I just…I don't want her to get into a situation that she can't get herself out of."

"What do you mean?" asked Sirius, his eyes then catching sight of something that brought a smile to his face.

"Last year," Harry explained, "I fought off a troll, tamed a Cerberus, answered a challenge against my family _and_ managed to defeat Voldemort in combat over the Philosopher's Stone and, each time, I was actually concerned for my own well-being. However, while Serena doesn't have my powers or my advantages, she _does_ have her own traits and we both, as members of my House, have our share of enemies: I don't want her to get dragged into a situation where she can't escape and then, like she did last Christmas, feels like she's let me down, because, while I don't know how to actually be a brother or a comforting family member, I do know that she'll never do that."

"And why?"

"Because, if it wasn't for her," Harry answered, a little curious as to Sirius' choice of question, "Her kindness, her heart and her devoted loyalty to me and my cause and my path, then…I'd probably still be trapped in the darkness of the Power and even be on my way to destroying everything and everyone. In other words, if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be a proverbial Demon: I'd be a _real_ one: I wouldn't care who I hurt or for what reason, I…I'd be lost, but thanks to Serena's own unique way, I'm not."

"And so you want her to be strong not because of family honour, but…because you…love her?" asked Sirius, coughing as he added, "As a brother, I mean: you love her as a brother loves his sister."

"Yes."

"And…are you willing to say sorry for upsetting her and letting her think you just cared about reputation?"

"Yes."

"In that case," Sirius laughed, lifting himself from the wall before he went to walk away, turning back once as he added, "I think I'll leave you two alone to chat."

"Huh?" asked Harry, looking up before he turned and gasped as he saw Serena standing on the other side of the path, her eyes wide with disbelief while her hands trembled in front of her lips. Rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, Harry asked, "How…how much of that did you hear?"

"All of it," Serena answered, approaching her brother before she hugged him, though Harry wasn't so quick to return the favour, "It's okay: I understand now…I'm sorry, Harry: I didn't think about how you would have looked at this. I just thought…I thought you'd stopped caring about me as a person."

"You're…you're my sister, Serena," Harry whispered, finally letting his arms hold his sister as he ran a hand through her sleek fire-red hair, "I may not have cared _much_ about a certain trio that have forgotten I even exist, but, like I said, if it wasn't for you, I'd have probably found myself in a worse place than I thought."

Letting go of Serena, Harry looked into her eyes before he explained, "I'm sorry about forcing you: you're gifted in your own way, my sister, and I need to realise that. I know you'll get stronger and I also know that you'll find your own way of doing it. Just…promise me that you won't let anyone lead you astray when you're in classes and at Hogwarts, right?"

"Harry," Serena laughed, tapping her brow with her fingers as she explained, "With you able to sense me and use all that power of yours to help me, how could I not make such a promise? Besides," here, she placed a gentle kiss against his brow before she continued, "I need to find a way to show you as well as everyone else that Serena Morgan Potter isn't someone that they think they can use like the old me. If you're the Demon of Hogwarts, then I guess I need to become the Dark Angel of Hogwarts: dark by name and dark by nature…but with the hint of grey that comes from being your sister."

"That's a nice way to put it," Harry laughed, taking Serena's hand as he explained, "And don't forget that I'm not the only one with Power, so to speak: thanks to my blood, you also have the strength inside you so that, if you don't get sorted into Gryffindor, you'll still be able to watch out for yourself."

"Just like the warrior elven mage that you turned me into, little brother," Serena replied, before she walked past Harry and seemed to return to the castle's interior, stopping only once to turn back before he added, "By the way, I think you owe Daphne an apology for your anger towards her: she was only trying to help."

With that, Serena left Harry standing on the inner wall, his eyes looking back to the world outside as he groaned with the thought of what would happen:

'I'd sooner face Voldemort in battle again…cause she's going to want my _head_ for this!'

**And there it is, ladies and gentlemen: Chapter 1 of the second segment of what I now call the 'Black Knight Chronicles' and it seems that things are on tenderhooks for Harry, but can he keep his word to Serena and earn Daphne's forgiveness?**

**Plus, where will Serena be sorted when she attends Hogwarts and seeks to become its Dark Angel like her brother, the Demon?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out…**

**Next Chapter: Weasleys, Malfoys and a blonde prat that never seems to let people forget about his **_**fabled**_** accomplishments; plus, Harry has a quiet word with Daphne and there's a new member of the group when Harry makes a new friend;**

**Please Read and Review….**


	2. Being Human

Secrets of the First

**Disclaimer: **SEE FIRST CHAPTER

**Author's Information: **Now, as always, I HAVE to say it: in this story, there'll be elements that people don't like, think shouldn't happen or may not make sense. For this, I say, once again, IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, THEN DON'T READ IT! I haven't come up with this story so that people can put down my work: if you don't like what you're reading, then STOP reading.

From now on, flames will be used to empower my Demon within and other reviews that enjoy my work shall empower _me!_

**Dedication: **I'd like to dedicate this story to T-TrainOrTurkey-T, Winged Seer Wolf and StormyFireDragon for their continued support and kind words regarding my work. My recommended reads are Wolf's story _Heir of Wonderland_ and Storm's story _I Walk In The Shadows_. Also, if you haven't done so already, go and read the previous adventure, _The Demon of Hogwarts_ otherwise this story may not make much sense.

Harry/Daphne

Other pairings TBC

Normal Speech

'Thought'

/_Parseltongue_/

**Review Answers:**

**TheGoldman: Do you think that would make things interesting? If so…then maybe that's what'll happen, but you'll have to keep reading to find out;**

**StormyFireDragon: I'm actually glad I listened to my fans – this time – and wrote this one to be posted, Storm: enjoy;**

**T4: Who knows, but it'll give Harry a chance to have some 'fun' with the Power as this chapter may display;**

**Hadrian Malfoy: Harry cares for Serena as she is part of the reason for his lighter nature and, as I've said, if you don't like how I write this out, then you don't have to keep reading;**

**Escaped from Azkaban: I actually have a nice idea for where Serena will be sorted as it'll have a BIG effect on the story;**

_With that, Serena left Harry standing on the inner wall, his eyes looking back to the world outside as he groaned with the thought of what would happen:_

'_I'd sooner face Voldemort in battle again…cause she's going to want my head for this!'_

Chapter 2: Being Human

Daphne wasn't too surprised when Harry Flamed directly to the rolling hills of Ireland and found their ancestral home, Emerald Manor – named for the land's nickname of which it was located – without so much thought, but she was surprised at how precise his skill was. When he'd demonstrated the skill back after Halloween when he'd told the group his secret, Daphne had been a _little_ scared and even stunned to see such power held by an eleven-year-old boy, but, after the explanations, she'd had to remember that this particular eleven-year-old was Harry Potter.

His family motto said it clear enough: _Potters don't answer to the status quo of the world;_

In other words, Potters didn't _do_ normal.

Putting her quill down and halting her progress on the research for Potions that she'd been doing as a summer assignment, Daphne stretched her arms up before she looked to her betrothed's deep amber eyes, her own ice blue eyes reminding Harry why Daphne was known to some of the others in the school as the Ice Queen.

For a long, awkward moment, neither Harry nor Daphne said a word; they just looked at one another as though they shared the thought of allowing the other to speak first.

Then, Daphne, seeing the side of Harry that led the Slytherins in those eyes of his rather than the caring, understanding betrothed side of him that he reserved for her and their court of allies, heaved a sigh before she asked, "So…you finally brought up the courage to visit my home, eh, Harry?"

"Don't."

The one-word answer sent chills down Daphne's spine as she looked again to Harry's amber eyes, her attempt at humour lost on him from the way his face was as apathetic as ever. In fact, Daphne couldn't help but remember how Harry had been when he'd first met her back on the train: how he'd handled Malfoy and Weasley and defended Hermione and Neville without a second thought or glance.

She remembered the icy feeling of death that had hung over the compartment when Harry had unleashed what she later learned to be called the Demon's Aura on Malfoy. The feeling of raw, animalistic-borderline-demonic bloodlust that had consumed their souls, nearly driving Neville and Hermione to tears while Daphne had felt like her own life was no longer worth living…and that was all over in a matter of seconds, as though Harry had remembered they were there.

Now, with just one word, Daphne felt like she was experiencing that presence, the bloodlust all over again: meeting her betrothed's eyes, Daphne asked, "Don't…what, Harry?"

"Don't…leave me," Harry whispered, almost hissing the words out as he looked at Daphne, his eyes almost glowing now as he added, "I can't lose you, Daphne…not after how hard I fought to have you in the first place. Not now…after how much I've learned to be human rather than a cold, callous, Tom Riddle wannabe; I've said my piece with Serena and told her how I just want her to be…to be careful and look out for those who would want her to be weak and alone. It's _not_ about reputation, Daphne; it's because…I care about her."

He said all this with almost forced breath, his teeth clenched and his hands, Daphne then noticed, trembling with rage and held-in emotions, his hands curled into fists as though he was having a fight with his inner self.

Looking again to his amber eyes, Daphne then asked, "And…why are you telling _me_ not to leave, Harry? You gave me an out when we signed our contract: I never thought that someone like Serena would break through the armour of the Slytherin King."

"Like her," Harry answered, his eyes suddenly hardening as he explained, "You've brought out the human from within the demon in me: without you, without Serena, I'd be exactly what I said you stopped me from being. A Tom Riddle wannabe, a real monster and Demon: you remember how I was on the train?"

"Yes."

"I'd be worse," Harry explained, his eyes still hard and filled with a sense of fury as he told her, "I wouldn't allow _anyone_ to stand in my way: I'd hurt, torment, plague and probably even _kill_ anyone that stood in my way without so much as a second thought. But I learned to tame that instinct…that _hunger_…and it's because of you and Serena and our friends. Salazar himself told me that my sliver of light that showed when I offered to protect you and how I couldn't harm or abuse Serena is what has come from my own past and, over the year, my sliver grew bigger."

"What are you saying, Harry?" asked Daphne, watching as Harry let his fists relax, his hands now lifted in front of his eyes, a look of raw fear and dread now being shown in Harry's eyes.

"I'm saying," Harry answered, his hands still trembling as he explained, "I _can't_ go back to that side: it's not just you that would suffer, Daphne: Hermione, Neville, Tracey, Blaise, hell even Malfoy and Weasley, but, most of all, Serena: my sister, my ward, my closest confidante and my rock…other than you, of course. So that's why I'm asking you, no, I'm _begging_ you, Daphne…" he actually dropped to his knees as he lowered his head before Daphne, "Please…don't go: don't leave me alone…I can't lose my light…not now I've _finally_ found happiness…friends…family; not now I'm finally human again…please…"

Daphne felt her heart break as she saw her big, bad, demon-king of Slytherin become little more than the child that he was because of what she'd said, what she'd done. Admittedly, even Daphne had regretted her words and that was why she'd suggested for Serena to return to the Castle and make amends with her little brother.

Now, because of the fear of being alone again, here _was_ that little brother: lost, frightened, weak…everything Harry _wasn't_ meant to be.

Kneeling down, Daphne put her arms around her betrothed's body, her right hand, which also ironically held her betrothal ring that Harry had crafted from his own Power for her, stroking his silky-soft dirty-blonde hair as she shushed his sobs and whimpers.

"I'm sorry, Harry," Daphne whispered, feeling a tear form within her own eye as she stroked him gently, "I…I didn't think about what my betrothal really meant for you; I…I was angry. I didn't realise what this meant for you…oh, don't worry," she added, her face now close to his as she kept this moment between the two of them. "Of course I'm not going to leave you, Harry: not after everything you've done for me. You kept me safe and helped change things in Slytherin so that others were safe from what could have happened to me: you offered my Father a dowry that not even the greatest of betrotheds would dare risk for the sake of love and honour."

Lifting herself from Harry's side, she wiped his tears away before she explained, "I'm your betrothed, Harry: then, now and forever; I won't abandon you, I promise. And I'll help you keep Serena safe if that's what you want for her: our enemies gather, but we're going to face them together, you and me, the Demon King of Slytherin and his Ice Queen: together…I promise."

"Thank you…Daphne," Harry replied, rising from the ground before he turned and asked, "Do you think your Dad's worried about my sudden presence within the wards?"

"I doubt it," Daphne answered, smiling as she explained, "Like you did with me, I used my right as Heiress Prima and keyed you into the wards: so, even with your Power, you're welcome here anytime."

As Harry nodded, he turned and wiped his eyes and looked out into the view from the window of Daphne's room;

Suddenly, Daphne had an inkling of suspicion in her eyes: with an amused smile, she asked, "Hey…were you…_feigning_ those tears to get through to me?"

With an amused chuckle, Harry turned before he asked, "It worked, didn't it?"

"Slytherin," Daphne laughed.

"_Son_ of Slytherin, Daphne," Harry replied, giving her a wink before he added in a serious tone, "But don't think I was lying about what _could_ happen if my light should _ever_ vanish."

"No," agreed Daphne, "_That_ part, I could tell was the truth…so don't worry, Harry: I'm staying with you…for as long as I can."

"Thanks, Daphne," Harry smiled, leaning in close and brushing his lips against Daphne's, the quick kiss stopped by the appearance of his black flames enveloping his body as he vanished.

With a laugh, Daphne returned to her work, her fingers brushing against her lips as she considered what had just happened:

"I do _not_ understand that boy…and I get the feeling that I never will…"

_**Secrets of the First**_

Diagon Alley was as busy as ever;

Needing a new set of robes after his recent growth spurt as well as the new books for his own second year – now that the list had _finally_ arrived with just one week to go before the start of term – Harry escorted Daphne, an excited Astoria and Serena to the Alley, Sirius and Adrian acting as chaperones for the trip. Astoria was excited as her parents had insisted that she wait until her booklist arrived before she could get her own wand and pet while Harry only felt a sense of finality as he knew that this was the final act before he could reunite with his friends and guide his family through Hogwarts life.

As they left Madam Malkin's, a new travelling cloak in deep emerald wrapped around Harry's shoulders while his new robes would be on order to be sent to the Castle, Harry's sharp senses then reacted to a presence of large, collective magic nearby. Looking down the Alley, the group noticed a rather large group of witches and wizards – mostly witches, Harry also noticed – bundled into Flourish and Blotts, a large banner covering the entrance with words that flashed different colours:

_GILDEROY LOCKHART WILL BE SIGNING COPIES OF HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY_

_**MAGICAL ME**_

_TODAY BETWEEN 11 AND 2_

"Lockhart?" asked Daphne, looking to Harry as she asked, "Isn't he the one who's written most of our new books?"

"Yeah," Harry replied, earning a groan as he added, "Thank Merlin I'm no longer so easily recognised by others: come on, let's try somewhere else and then we'll grab some dinner at the Cauldron and come back _after_ two."

As they went to turn away, Harry was then forced to turn back when a familiar voice called out, "Harry: there you are!"

With a sigh, as the voice was _thankfully_ that of a friend, Harry turned back and nodded, "Yeah, here I am, Hermione: Dan, Emma, nice to see you again."

"Good morning, Harry," Dan replied, Harry then noticing that the man seemed to have tidied himself up a bit since their last meeting: he was dressed in a business suit with clean-cut hair and had also appeared to have lost a bit of weight. Emma, on the hand, looked as warm as ever as she shared her husband's welcome of Harry.

"Traded up, I see," Harry laughed, also noticing that Hermione had lost her large teeth while her robes looked brand-spanking-new and she also wore a new ring on her finger with an image of an owl in the crest.

"Thanks to you," Hermione explained, "We did as you suggested and went to Gringotts: turns out you were right and now, since I'm the last daughter of the line, I've become the Scion of the Dagworth-Granger House until the day I turn sixteen when I become Lady of the estate. I named Dad as my proxy and even had the goblins suggest some ways for helping us adjust to our new lifestyle."

"So new robes and getting a bit of work done is just the start?" asked Harry.

"No," Hermione replied, "Dad joined some exclusive social gym where high-ups hang out and work together: Mum finally agreed to getting my teeth resized, though the goblins were friendly enough to help there and, on top of that, I've been able to make some magical acquaintances through my parents' practice."

"Wow," Harry whispered, looking to the shop as he then noticed that Hermione had not yet received her books, which, for Hermione, was a pretty rare sight. "So, _please_, Hermione: don't tell me that you've bought into this hype for Lockhart: he's an author and he's about as infamous…as I am!"

"Well," Hermione answered sheepishly, "It's not every day that you meet an author: come on, Harry, the rest of the group are here."

"Great," Harry sighed, earning a laugh and an encouraging nudge from Daphne as they walked towards the store: if it was possible, the inside was even more crowded than the outside. The bookstore owners were trying to move through the crowds to restock the shelves, but, in one corner of the room, surrounded by what appeared to be _framed_ copies of his book, was a man with the brightest blonde hair that Harry had ever seen, a pair of bright blue eyes looking at the crowd as well as wearing a set of rainbow-like robes that made Dumbledore look _normal_.

'Gilderoy Lockhart,' Harry thought, feeling sickened by a scent of aftershave in the air while many of the witches in the shop were letting out dramatic sighs as the man waved and posed for pictures courtesy of a small man that insisted that he was from the _Daily Prophet_. 'I think I'm going to lose my lunch.'

As another smoke-aided flash lit up the shop, Harry's eyes met those of Lockhart's through the crowd and, as the two met, the man's eyes widened before he asked, "It _can't_ be…Harry Potter?"

'How in Merlin's name does he recognise me?' Harry wondered to himself, but, before he could get any answers, he was pushed through the crowd and practically clamped to Lockhart's side, the scent of the aftershave now making Harry's stomach turn.

"Nice big smile, Harry," Lockhart insisted, "Together you and I will…ow!"

The groan of pain had come from Lockhart as Harry had sent a static charge through his body and left the man's side, Serena now standing protectively with her brother while Sirius had managed to reach the front, his eyes filled with rage as he asked, "So, _Mr Lockhart_, what do you think gives you the right to manhandle a twelve-year-old boy like you just did?"

"Not to mention the Lord of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Potter," added Serena, her topaz eyes shining with magic that was only really restrained by her brother's presence, his expression telling her that he was all right and that there was no need to lose her temper…not just yet.

Lockhart, in front of a shop full of witnesses, seemed to try and gather his senses – if he _had_ any – before he explained, "I…I apologise, Lord Potter and Lord Black: I…I heard that young Lord Potter was at the school and thought he would like to meet the man that would be attending as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor…"

A bark of laughter echoed out of Harry, earning a look of shock from Lockhart while murmurs had started up around the store; wiping his eyes, Harry explained, "Oh…I'm sorry, Lockhart, but if you're going to be Defence Professor this year, then I think I just clicked as to why the lists were late. Tell me, _Professor_, since you seem to be the _only_ expert available at the moment: what's the correct way to fight off a werewolf?"

"I'm sure you'll find the answer in _Wanderings with Werewolves,_ Lord Potter," Lockhart replied, suddenly smiling an annoyingly-bright smile that even made Dan and Emma cringe – and they were dentists – as he added, "In fact, if you gather my collective works, I'd be honoured to sign them for you."

"The only reason I'd even _touch_ those poison-pen works is to use them for kindling," Harry growled, his voice edged by fury as he added, "A _real_ Professor wouldn't _recommend_ a book, let alone one he'd written: he'd have the answer like _that!_"

He snapped his fingers for emphasis and, as though his rage had suddenly sparked some Accidental Magic, the pages from Lockhart's _framed_ works suddenly flew from the frames and enveloped the man like a mummy being wrapped up. The photographer was going clicker-crazy while Harry, grabbing his _other_ books – and avoiding touching Lockhart's books at all – and paying for them, left the shop rather quickly.

Outside, Harry leaned against the wall of the nearest shop while, behind him, Serena put a comforting hand on her brother's shoulder, softly massaging his tense shoulders while she told him, "Don't worry about him, Harry: you'd make a better teacher than that walking radiation victim!"

"Thanks, Serena," Harry replied, then realising why Serena had always been so good with her talents: he was actually feeling better and yet all she was doing was gently rubbing at his shoulders.

"What happened in there?" a new voice demanded, making Harry groan as he butted his head against the wall: this was all he needed…like a hole in the head. Turning to face the voice, Harry found Ron Weasley glaring at him, his eyes filled with rage as he demanded, "My little sister nearly got her head taken off by your Dark Magic, Potter: what did you do?"

"Accidents happen, Weasley," Harry remarked calmly, his voice edged by humour as he added, "Strange things happen whenever someone's angry or scared: and though I'm loathed to admit it, Lockhart does both!"

"That _wasn't_ Accidental Magic," Ron snarled, "You _did_ something, Potter: but then again what else can you expect from a slimy snake that keeps freaks for company?"

"Freaks?" asked Harry, stepping past Serena and, calming her with a held out arm, he added, "That's not directed at my sister, I hope: especially since she'll be joining our lessons in a week's time."

"They'll let _anyone_ in these days," a new voice interrupted, earning another groan from Harry as he turned in the other direction and, sure enough, there stood Draco Malfoy, both him and Weasley keeping Harry from either side's escape.

"I don't recall inviting you to this little party, Malfoy," Harry remarked, looking to Ron as he added, "Then again, I suppose a Gryffindor like Malfoy keeps any form of company: even mewling quims of treacherous layabouts like you, huh, Weasley?"

"Better than keeping a freak for a sister," Ron scowled, earning a groan from Harry.

"Two words, Tomato Brain," Harry sighed, "Broken and Record! Also, since you're here insulting my family, I feel it only right to remind you of something."

"Which is?"

"Let me refresh your memory," Harry reasoned, "Last Halloween, you endangered the life of a good friend of mine and nearly wound up killing her while you shit yourself stupid and fainted: trust me, I've got pictures to prove it!"

"I'd _never_ dare come near your unworthy crowd," Ron hissed, "You're lying, Potter!"

"Ah," Harry added, "Yeah…there's the other thing: _it's Lord Potter_, Weasley and, for someone who seems to think that the universe revolves around him, you seem to have an insane habit of lying yourself! Out of curiosity, how did _you_ have something to do with Draco's currently-questionable placement in Gryffindor?"

"I'm a Slytherin!"

"Draco," Harry sighed, "Please: the grown-ups are talking…and you're not a Slytherin: remember which of us is _Lord_ Slytherin and, despite your Daddy's surely _generous_ donation to the Ministry or the Board or whoever _thinks_ they run Hogwarts, they need to remember what your lovely Mother told you. There is _no_ overruling a Founder's Decree and, since you haven't apologised to Daphne for your brash words last September, you're _still_ Gryffindor! And, if you come anywhere near Slytherin House this year, I'll consider it a betrayal of the Founder's Decree and I _will_ see you penalised for it! Maybe sent to Hufflepuff…along with Carrot-Top over there!"

"I told you before, Potter," snarled Draco, "Watch who you make an enemy of…you may live to regret it!"

"Uh huh," Harry added, "And how am I to do that when I have the backing, support and future Lordship of the Black Family under my belt along with everything else I've got?"

Malfoy's wand came out, but Harry was already ahead of him: with a little help from The Power, he summoned the wand from Malfoy before he shook his head and explained, "Careful there, Draco: we can't use magic outside Hogwarts…well, _you _can't."

"Is there a problem here, Draco?"

'And here was I wondering where the hell he'd gotten to,' Harry thought, watching as Lucius Malfoy now appeared, his eyes narrowed in hatred as he saw Harry and Serena standing there.

"Lord Potter," he remarked calmly.

"_Lord_ Malfoy," Harry replied courteously, inclining his head as he added, "Your son was about to try and use his wand outside of Hogwarts grounds, which is a breach for the Restriction of Reasonable Underage Sorcery: I suggest you tame your son's anger…before he makes things worse than they already are."

"I shall have words," Lucius replied, looking to Serena as he added, "And congratulations, Scion Potter: I hear you are joining the ranks at Hogwarts this year."

"Thank you for your courteousness, Lord Malfoy," Serena answered, looking to her brother before she looked back as she added, "And…yes, I have officially been accepted as a member of the second-year party this year along with my brother and his friends and…enemies," she added with a glare to Draco. "I daresay this will make things interesting."

"Indeed they shall," Lucius remarked and, for a second, Harry thought he saw a knowing look in Lucius' eyes before he added, "Now, if you'll excuse me, Lord Potter, I have a prior engagement to keep: have a nice year."

"Have a nice day, Lord Malfoy," Harry remarked, waiting for Lucius to leave before he added, "Because one way or another, I'll make sure you _never_ threaten my family again!"

"What do you mean by that?" asked Weasley, making Harry turn before he scowled and, moving with Serena back towards Flourish and Blotts, Harry just looked past Weasley as he finally spoke;

"Did someone speak? I could swear I heard a noise just now…"

_**Secrets of the First**_

As a last-day treat for the group, Adrian and Elena invited the entire group of Slytherin friends to a special sleep-over party at Emerald Manor where they'd then escort the kids to King's Cross the next day. When Neville joined them, Harry thought he saw a look of worry in his friend's eyes, but put it down to the angst that the Demon of Hogwarts had felt about what they'd have to face in the coming year.

After a round of food, drinks, games and shared laughs, it was soon time for bed: Hermione, Astoria, Serena, Daphne and Tracey would be in one room while Harry, Neville and Blaise would be in another.

As he left the adjoining bathroom, dressed in his night-clothes, Harry was a little surprised to find an unusual creature sitting on his bed: it was a small creature with floppy ears that made Harry then realise it as a House Elf…similar to Mixey. Large, tennis-ball green eyes looked at Harry with a mix of awe and wonder before the creature spoke, "Harry Potter…such an honour, it is…"

"What's a House Elf doing in my bed?" asked Harry, narrowing his eyes as he added, "From that…pillowcase you're wearing, I can guess you're _not_ one of Lord Greengrass' elves…so, who are you?"

"I is Dobby, sir," the elf replied, his voice high-pitched and filled with delight as he explained, "And Dobby has come, sir, to warn Harry Potter: Dobby hoped he would find Harry Potter at his home, sir, but Harry Potter was not there."

"My Castle cannot be found by any except those who wish to know where it is," Harry explained, then noticing Dobby wringing his pillowcase awkwardly. With a sense of realisation, Harry asked, "You…you're not talking about Potter Castle, are you, Dobby?"

"No sir," Dobby answered, "Dobby means the home where Harry Potter's magic was felt, sir: the Muggle home he lived in, but Harry Potter was not there."

"I see," Harry remarked, heaving a sigh before he took a deep breath and asked, "So, Dobby, if you're here…to _warn_ me of something, then first tell me: who is your Master?"

"Dobby cannot say, sir," Dobby answered, "Dobby has forsaken Master's home to come and warn Harry Potter: Dobby must not…sir, please…"

"Dobby," Harry commanded, "As Lord Potter, I _order_ you to tell me the name of your Master!"

Dobby had no choice: he could feel the magic of a Lord touch him and, as he looked to Harry's eyes, Dobby answered, "Lord Malfoy, sir, but he does not like Dobby: this is why Dobby could get away."

"So…you're…what? Betraying him?"

"Dobby feels that he must, sir," Dobby explained, "Harry Potter is great wizard, sir: has powers like Dobby has never known, but Harry Potter _must_ beware!"

"Of what?" asked Harry, a little stunned that a…a servant of Malfoy's would come out to warn him, "What could be so dangerous that you'd want to betray your Master, Dobby?"

"Dangers, sir," Dobby answered, "Greater than Harry Potter has faced before: please, sir, do not be angry with Dobby, but Dobby feels, sir…"

"Stop right there," Harry growled, his magic suddenly flaring as he addressed Dobby, "Before you tell me that you _have_ to stop me from doing something like going to Hogwarts and facing this danger, let me tell you this, Dobby! You've _willingly_ betrayed your Master to help me; a fact that I know is impossible since a House Elf relies on their Master's magic to work, yes?"

Dobby nodded, but said nothing as Harry continued. "Now you, a Malfoy House Elf, more commonly known as the House of my _worst_ enemy, second only to Tom Riddle, are here saying I have to avoid some great and terrible danger at Hogwarts, I'm guessing?"

Dobby nodded again.

"In that case," Harry replied, "I think it only right, Dobby, to inform you that, one way or another, I'll be going to Hogwarts and, since you confess to willingly betraying your Master, I can harbour a guess that the Malfoys _aren't_ your true masters. Maybe…the Blacks?"

As he said this, Harry drew on the small influence that he held over the Black Family Magic as its Heir Primus – thanks to Sirius explaining about using family magic – before a nod escaped Dobby as the elf gasped and ran to the wall. With a little telekinetic help, Harry shook his head, "Don't try to do that again, Dobby: now, you serve the Blacks and _I_ am Heir Primus to the Black Family. Therefore, on behalf of the family, I hereby release you from the Black Family servitude!"

Dobby gasped as a bright glow surrounded his body before he fell to his knees, sobbing profusely; with a sigh, however, Harry continued, "However, Dobby, I now extend an offer to bond with me and become my House Elf under the Most Noble and Ancient House of Potter, as well as Houses Gryffindor, Slytherin, Peverell, Evans and, through my betrothed, House Greengrass. What do you say?"

Dobby was in floods of tears as he hugged Harry warmly before nodding so excitedly that his head was like a bobble-head toy, "Yes sir, Dobby would be honoured to bind with Harry Potter!"

"Then," Harry placed a hand on Dobby's brow before he explained, "I hereby accept you, the House Elf known as Dobby, into the service of House Potter: as your new Master, I have rules: first, you do _not_ punish yourself for _any_ reason. If you do wrong, you come to me for punishment or you speak to my High Elf assistant and Head of Staff, Zharka Wintersbane: second, you're not to do anything that endangers my life or my time at Hogwarts. I've faced challenges before, Dobby, and I'll take this one head-on; and, finally, you're now to be my personal House Elf, which means that you answer my calls and perform the tasks I require as well as any asked by my new blood sister, the dark-elf half-breed, Serena Potter: as Lord Potter, I do decree, now and forever, so mote it be!"

A flash of black light covered Dobby's body and, when it faded, the House Elf was dressed in a blood-red uniform with the Potter Crest displayed on the arm; with a cry, Dobby bowed before he asked, "Lord Harry, how may Dobby serve his Master, sir?"

"First, don't call me Master," Harry remarked, before a sigh escaped him as he added, "Second…tell me what you know of this danger at Hogwarts…my little friend."

**Chapter 2 and Harry's made a new friend: Dobby – not Luna as some guessed, though she IS coming up – who now serves and obeys his Lord and friend, but can Harry prepare for a trouble that is to come?**

**Also, how will Serena fare at Hogwarts with enemies inside the walls?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out…**

**Next Chapter: Harry's noble side comes out when a new student is attacked by others; plus, Ginny makes her debut, but she's **_**not**_** as Harry could have hoped for a Weasley; and, to top it all off, Serena gets sorted and Harry is forced to endure the first nightmare of his second year: being taught by Gilderoy Lockhart;**

**Please Read and Review….**


	3. Meeting Luna Lovegood

Secrets of the First

**Disclaimer: **SEE FIRST CHAPTER

**Author's Information: **Now, as always, I HAVE to say it: in this story, there'll be elements that people don't like, think shouldn't happen or may not make sense. For this, I say, once again, IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, THEN DON'T READ IT! I haven't come up with this story so that people can put down my work: if you don't like what you're reading, then STOP reading.

From now on, flames will be used to empower my Demon within and other reviews that enjoy my work shall empower _me!_

**Dedication: **I'd like to dedicate this story to T-TrainOrTurkey-T, Winged Seer Wolf and StormyFireDragon for their continued support and kind words regarding my work. My recommended reads are Wolf's story _Heir of Wonderland_ and Storm's story _I Walk In The Shadows_. Also, if you haven't done so already, go and read the previous adventure, _The Demon of Hogwarts_ otherwise this story may not make much sense.

Harry/Daphne

Other pairings TBC

Normal Speech

'Thought'

/_Parseltongue_/

**Review Answers:**

**T4: Well, without giving away too much, what Harry's Power did in the shop is part of this story's focus;**

**StormyFireDragon: Err…you feeling okay, Storm? Not like you to have such dark thoughts;**

**Chuffers244: The students don't see Harry as a 'dark lord' but they do see him as a traitor and the Slytherin King; as for Ron, he just DOESN'T have what it takes to be a Gryffindor: true friends, brave, bright and loyal…yeah, how many times is he this when it DOESN'T benefit him? (And the last book DOESN'T count!)**

**Lordblink: I don't think it's been done before either: as for the soul shard, I think you'll find things at Hogwarts are…remarkably different this time around;**

_A flash of black light covered Dobby's body and, when it faded, the House Elf was dressed in a blood-red uniform with the Potter Crest displayed on the arm; with a cry, Dobby bowed before he asked, "Lord Harry, how may Dobby serve his Master, sir?"_

"_First, don't call me Master," Harry remarked, before a sigh escaped him as he added, "Second…tell me what you know of this danger at Hogwarts…my little friend."_

Chapter 3: Meeting Luna Lovegood

After the shocks and excitements of their last-day party and after his bonding to Dobby, Harry actually felt a chuckle escape him when he realised just how much he was looking forwards to his first day back. With Daphne, Serena and even little Astoria by his side, Harry felt like his family, along with his circle, was well and truly complete, especially since Daphne had made him swear that he would use his Power to protect Astoria as he protected her and their friends.

Appearing on Platform Nine-And-Three-Quarters and witnessing the familiar and proud sight of the Hogwarts Express standing there before him, Harry allowed himself a smile to slip through the noble, still-somewhat matured appearance that he presented around others. Moving off towards the end of the train, the young Demon helped the ladies put their items into a compartment before he joined them, Hedwig, Cronus, Athena – Daphne's barn owl pet – and Astoria's new kitten – which was slightly larger than normal cats as it apparently had some tiger blood to it – that she'd named Krishna all placed with their respected master and mistresses.

With Harry close to the window, his head resting against the cool glass, the others glanced to one another before Daphne asked, "Should we make some space for when the others get here?"

"Do _you_ want to disturb his calm demeanour?" asked Serena, indicating Harry's somewhat-tense expression, her soft voice seemingly the only thing keeping him calm. "Hermione and the others will probably take the compartment nearby: with the group all gathered together, it may be a bit too crowded and noisy in here."

"I suppose," Daphne agreed, looking to Serena as the dark elf was seated next to her brother, her topaz eyes filled with a sense of duty and freedom as she watched her younger sibling. With a sigh, Daphne then asked, "Why _are_ you so tense, Harry? You were all smiles when we passed through the barrier."

"It's nothing," Harry answered, his gaze fixed on the window as he kept his focus to himself.

Secretly, Harry was still a little concerned about the threat that Dobby had told him about: apparently, his elven friend didn't know _exactly_ what was involved, but it was something to do with the past of the family that Dobby had once called Master…the Malfoys. For now, Harry had charged Dobby with the task of keeping an ear out for any more information and, when he'd asked about any information that Dobby _did_ know, the elf had replied by telling him that all he knew was that, somehow, history was about to repeat itself.

Whatever that meant, Harry didn't know, but he knew that this year would be another where Hogwarts was threatened…and, most-likely, the Higher Powers would feign ignorance and probably expect the Demon of Slytherin to save the day.

Well…he'd deal with whatever was coming, but as for _saving the day_, Harry wasn't about to do that.

A few minutes after Harry had told Daphne about his lack of problems, the Hogwarts Express finally rolled out of King's Cross, the journey towards the second year officially underway. Once King's Cross was out of the way, Harry sighed before he rose from the seat and, looking to the others, he told them, "Wait here: I'm going to find out where Hermione and the others are staying."

"Want some…" Daphne began, but she was cut off by the door closing behind Harry as he vanished from the compartment, "…company?"

"What's wrong with Harry, Daphne?" asked Astoria, her eyes watching the spot where her future brother-in-law had vanished, "Why's he…so cold?"

"Just first-day nerves, probably," Daphne answered, her gaze moving to her sister as she explained, "Harry's not as excited about the school and time there as we are: I think it's more to do with how people think he's some kind of hero."

"He is," Astoria replied, earning a sigh and a nod from her sister.

"Yes, Tori, he is," she agreed, her voice edged by foreboding as she added, "But _not_ the hero that _they_ want him to be."

_**Secrets of the First**_

Out in the compartment's walkways, Harry moved from one compartment to the other, using the sensory power that he'd discovered from the Power to sense the signatures of his friends. After a few moments, he found them in one of the furthest compartments, Neville, Hermione, Tracey and Blaise all seemingly content on spending time alone.

With an amused smirk, the Demon of Slytherin turned on his heel and slowly made his way back to his compartment, passing between two of the carriages on his way back down the train. As he neared his compartment, Harry suddenly stopped when the door to the nearest compartment opened and, to his surprise, a girl was almost literally _thrown_ out of her compartment along with an array of strange-looking trinkets and a magazine that, according to its cover, was called _The Quibbler_.

"Stay out of here, Loony!" a female voice demanded, Harry then looking around the door where he saw two Ravenclaw girls lounging in seats, looking rather pleased with themselves. Remembering his Sorting from the previous year, Harry identified one of the girls as Marietta Edgecombe while the other was an older girl that he didn't know. It was also this girl that was speaking as she added, "Abnormalities like you don't belong here: you belong in a long-term ward of St Mungo's."

"You tell her, Cho," Edgecombe sneered, going to slam the door; however, Harry put his hand in the way, the eyes of the Ravenclaw second-year widening when she saw him. "What do you want, Potter? This business doesn't concern a Slytherin traitor like _you!_"

"Why are you bullying this girl?" asked Harry, his eyes narrowed as he added, "She wasn't causing any trouble and you think it's all right to consider her an abnormality?"

"She's a weirdo," the girl named Cho insisted, "Talking about unusual creatures and things that don't exist and expecting us to sign up with her deranged Daddy's rag!"

"Did she say that?" asked Harry.

"She's an obsessive freak," Cho insisted.

"But did she _say_ that?"

"Well…no," Edgecombe answered, her voice edged by fear as a small part of Harry's Demon Aura had leaked out with his words, "But…going on about Wargles or whatever they're called: she's a freak who's always in the land of nod; not worthy to be one of us!"

"Pay them no heed, Harry Potter," the blonde-haired girl replied, placing her hand on his arm as she explained, "There are those who walk around with blinders rather than opening their eyes to the truth."

"See?" demanded Cho, "Nuttier than a fruitcake: what's she on about?"

"Read between the lines," Harry replied, "You'll find she's going on about people like you: there's a Muggle expression that says you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Less you may be surprised with what you find inside. The same applies to witches and wizards," he took a deep breath before he turned to the girl and added, "It's nice to meet you, young Miss: since you know my name, may I know yours?"

"I'm Luna Lovegood," the girl answered, "This is my first year and I hope that I have loads of fun."

"Loony Lovegood is more appropriate," Cho whispered, earning a 'yes-girl' laugh from Edgecombe, but Harry had heard enough.

Turning back to the disastrous duo, his eyes almost shone as he explained, "If I _ever_ hear you call her that again, Edgecombe, you may find yourself discovering why I am the Slytherin King! _Luna_ is her name and, personally-speaking, I look forwards to spending some more time with such an interesting, if not, enchanting young lady."

"Thank you, Sire," Luna replied, giving Harry an actual curtsey as she added, "I pray I prove worthy of the Demon's Circle."

With a laugh, which really hid his shock at hearing Luna refer to the name that he and his friends used for their group, Harry just replied, "I'm sure you will: now…" he waved his hand over her equipment, re-packing everything into Luna's trunk, which he also noticed was decorated with more swirling colours and vortexes of shapes and colours that he'd ever seen, before he continued, "If you two blinder-wearing witches don't mind, I'm leaving you two in the land of Bias: Miss Luna, would you care to escort me back to my compartment?"

"I would be honoured, Your Majesty," Luna replied, a warm and enchanting smile crossing her face as Harry heaved Luna's trunk onto his shoulder before he took off, leaving Cho and Edgecombe in a mix of fear and confusion.

As they neared Harry's compartment, the Demon of Slytherin glanced to his new companion before he asked, "So…Luna: just how much do you know about me?"

With that same mystifying smile, Luna answered, "Everything…my King."

"How?"

"Oh," Luna giggled, stopping outside Harry's compartment, "I think I'll _let_ you figure that out, but don't worry, Sire: I won't betray the son of Salazar Slytherin."

"Why?"

"Because," answered Luna, "The way I see it: secrets should remain secrets until the time comes for them to be spoken."

Harry didn't know what to say in response to _that_…

_**Secrets of the First**_

As he soon discovered, Harry wasn't the only one entranced by the mysterious delight that was Luna Lovegood;

Serena, as a fellow new-student, also liked her and, though she didn't tell him what it was, there was something about Luna that surprised the dark elf, though Luna was also surprised at the prospect of a dark elf student.

Daphne and Astoria, on the other hand, believed that Harry had acted as only the Slytherin King and Daphne's betrothed could: with nobility and a sense of protection that didn't just come from the fact that Luna was a girl. Later on, Daphne told Harry that she could feel it too: something magically unique about Luna that seemed to allow others to like her while holding a front.

A mask, if you will: it was this _mask_, Harry would later discover, which earned Luna the mantle that Edgecombe and Cho Chang – as he discovered her name to be courtesy of Daphne – had given Luna. He didn't know why she'd put up a mask, but, either way, it was a mask that worked against everyone…or at least everyone that wasn't Luna's apparently-self-chosen Lord and Sovereign, Harry Potter.

Whenever he asked her a question, Luna would address him as Sire, Lord, Majesty, Highness and even Grace; when he asked her to call him by his name, Luna gave him that smile of hers before she replied, "When our terms are equal, Sire, it is then I shall grant your wish."

After that, whenever Harry asked her about how many times he had to ask her to call him by his name, Luna just answered, "At least once more, Your Highness, as always."

Truly, she was a unique, but enchanting young girl; a _definitely_-welcome member of the Circle and, from what he saw in the compartment, Luna was also a friend that, outside the Circle, Serena came to like and Astoria considered a classmate that could become a member of her own little group.

A first-year's Silver Trio, so to speak.

_**Secrets of the First**_

Pretty soon, the Hogwarts Express reached Hogsmeade Station and, as Astoria and Luna made their way across the lake with Hagrid, the rest of the Circle made their own way up to the school within carriages that, as soon as he sat in the back of the carriage, Harry then noticed to be pulled by interesting, beautiful creatures. From their appearances, they seemed to resemble sleek black horses with thin mouths and dark eyes, as well as two large leathery wings and almost-skeletal legs.

Their bodies weren't covered by fur, but skin and flesh, like new-born animals just hatched from the womb and yet, despite their clearly-intimidating appearance, Harry couldn't help but find the creatures remarkably beautiful.

"What are you looking at, Harry?" asked Hermione, her, Neville, Daphne and Serena all having joined their leader, brother and betrothed within the carriage.

"The Thestrals," Serena answered, her voice soft as she explained, "They're equine creatures that can only be seen by those who've witnessed death: but, because of my elven blood, I can pierce the Veil and see them as well."

"They're beautiful," Harry whispered, earning a nod from Serena before he turned and, looking to the others, he added, "It's a shame that you have to actually see someone die to see them."

"Couldn't you…" asked Neville, but Harry shook his head.

"Unlike Illusionism," he explained as the carriage was pulled up to the school by the Thestrals, "The Veil is a level of perception-based magic that my powers haven't learned to command yet: I could let you _feel_ their presence, but you'd have to feel like you were in the presence of Death himself."

"How can you see them?" asked Hermione, earning looks of disbelief from the others as they wondered why she had to ask; however, to counter their looks, Hermione then explained, "What I mean is, when…your parents died, you were too young to really remember it, weren't you?"

"No," Harry answered, his voice darker than normal as he explained, "When the Sanctuary unlocked my Power and gave me strength and skills anew, my memories came with them and I realised that this…painful nightmare that I used to have as a younger child was…it was actually me remembering the night my parents died."

"Wow," Daphne gasped, though Hermione looked a little guilty.

"Sorry, Harry," Hermione added, "I…I didn't think."

"You didn't know," Harry corrected her, "I've used my Power for different reasons as you well know, but I've never told anyone about the downsides of having it given to me."

The others couldn't help but agree as the carriage reached the castle's main entrance where Professor McGonagall was waiting; approaching their carriage, the Gryffindor Head of House explained, "Miss Potter: welcome to Hogwarts; if you wouldn't mind waiting here for the other first-years, we can get you Sorted."

"I'd like to wait with her, Professor McGonagall," Harry put in, earning a look of shock from Serena while McGonagall let out a sigh.

"It's highly unorthodox, Lord Potter," she explained, before nodding, "But I understand your reasons…so, just this once, I'll allow it."

As the others made their way into the Great Hall, Harry waited in the Entrance Hall with Serena, the dark elf looking around with awe and wonder while Harry, seeing her look, laughed before he explained, "Don't worry, Serena: after a while, you get used to it. Anyway, now that we're alone, I'd like to talk to you about the Sorting."

"O-Okay," Serena replied, her nervousness clearly showing itself as she looked back to Harry.

Taking a deep breath, Harry explained, "The Sorting Hat can see the true potential of any witch or wizard and, given your creature bloodline, it may try and draw you to one particular House: could be Slytherin with the rest of us or it could even be Hufflepuff because of your loyalty to me and our family. However, and I'm saying this both as your brother and a student here, so…to avoid any trouble whatsoever, I want you to make sure you _don't_ get sorted into Gryffindor."

"Because of Malfoy?"

"Amongst other things," Harry answered, his eyes on the doors to the Great Hall as he added, "Gryffindor and Slytherin are natural enemies: like cats and dogs and, since you're _my_ sister, people will target you to get to me. So what I'd like, Serena, is the same thing, in a way, which I've tried to like over the summer: I want you to be safe, but I also want you to be happy."

"And…what if I go to Gryffindor?"

"Then don't worry," Harry explained, the loud knocks of Hagrid's fists coming from the nearby great doors, "Because I'm the Slytherin King, remember that: I'll keep the House off your back and, besides, if you want the right sort of protection _if_ you do go to the Lions, then seek out the Weasley Twins and just tell them that you know Padfoot and Moony: they'll know who you mean."

"The Marauders?" asked Serena.

"Bingo," Harry laughed, watching as the first-years walked in, some of them slightly awed by Hogwarts while a few others looked a little surprised when they saw Harry and Serena waiting in the main hall.

While Professor McGonagall gave her usual welcome speech, this time without the need to leave the first-years, Harry considered what he'd just told his sister: _if_ she was sorted into Gryffindor, it would be like following the Potter family tradition and, for that, Harry would be happy for her. However, with everyone that was against him mostly focused on that House – Malfoy and Dumbledore to name but two of those people – Harry didn't want Serena to be used as some sort of bargaining chip for his co-operation with whatever crazed ideas his wannabe trappers could come up with.

Then again, the Weasley Twins, who considered themselves the next generation of Marauders, would only have to hear that Serena knew two of their idols and the son of a third and Harry would have them as protectors of his sister and maybe any friends she made for herself.

As he thought about this, Harry remembered what he'd said to Serena just nine months ago after their last clash with a certain ferret and his ilk:

_Flashback Start_

"_But…didn't Amelia say that…you're just one man?" asked Serena, earning a nod from Harry as he ran a delicate hand through her hair._

"_Yes," he answered, before he winked as he added, "But this one man has another legacy that doesn't involve politics…and, if my memory serves me correctly, there are two people at Hogwarts that can help me awaken that legacy."_

"_What legacy?"_

_Placing a gentle kiss on Serena's brow, Harry rose from the bed and, moving across the room, he disrobed and climbed into his own bed, using his shape-shifting power to return to the dirty-blonde-haired, amber-eyed pre-teen that he had enjoyed resembling at Hogwarts before he answered Serena as he called it a night._

"_The Marauders."_

_End Flashback_

'If Serena goes to Gryffindor, she'll be in trouble,' thought Harry as McGonagall began to lead the group into the hall: taking his own seat with the Slytherins, Harry watched his sister approach the front of the hall before he added, 'But with the right connections…I just don't know what I can do to help.'

He may not have, but, as Harry's thoughts troubled him, the Demon was unaware of the magic of the school hearing the pleas and the wishes of its Heir and, within the Sorting Hat's consciousness, the power of the school touched the item, waiting for the arrival of the one behind his fears.

When Luna was called up, Harry looked over to where Cho and Marietta were sitting, both of them catching his eye as they saw the look of warning in his eyes: finally, after a few moments, the Sorting Hat announced, "RAVENCLAW!"

Harry and the Circle were amongst those who clapped for Luna as the Sorting continued, a part of Harry now concerned for the remainder of the years as, with him in Slytherin and Luna in Ravenclaw, it would be harder to consider her a member of the Circle.

If only he could find somewhere legitimate for them to meet up…

A surprise then greeted Harry when, shortly after Luna's sorting, a red-haired girl named Ginny Weasley was called up, the Gryffindor Table then looking a little hopeful while, at the same time, Ron Weasley just looked…as idiotic as ever.

'Never thought I'd see a girl Weasley here,' Harry thought, his surprise then extending when the Sorting Hat declared its choice:

"SLYTHERIN!"

There…was…_pandemonium!_

The Gryffindors were jeering at Ginny and demanding a resort; the Slytherins looked somewhere between horrified and surprise, the Ravenclaws looked a little concerned and the only Hufflepuff that said anything was – yep, you guessed it – Ronald as he began shouting obscenities and threatening to have his sister disowned for betraying the family.

Only Harry, rising from the table, approached the front before he held out his hand to a sobbing Ginny before he told her, "Come with me, Miss Weasley: I'll protect you."

Ginny met the cold amber eyes of the Slytherin King and, as she did, she felt…shocked!

All summer long, her brother had gone on about how Harry Potter was the Scourge of Hogwarts and that Ginny had no business fawning over him: as if she was _meant_ to be fawning over him.

All through her childhood, her mother, in some crazed, obsessive need for fame, had drilled it into Ginny that she was going to marry the Boy Who Lived, but, when Ginny heard from Ron, Fred and George that Harry had been sorted into Slytherin, Ginny's eyes had been opened. She knew that her dream would only ever be that: a dream, but, maybe, she hoped that she could call him a friend.

After all, it was the propaganda of a hero that Ginny had been raised to admire: the Slytherin that Harry Potter had become was something that she hadn't expected and so this gave her a chance to really stick it to her Mother and tell her straight: _no, I'm not going to become Mrs Harry Potter; not unless _he_ chooses me._

It was obvious that he wouldn't: Ginny had seen him with the dark-elf that would be one of their classmates and her friend, Luna, had said on the boat ride over that Harry was already taken and by his own choice as well.

No, Harry wouldn't choose Ginny, but that didn't stop her from taking his hand and letting him guide her to the Slytherin Table.

'Your House is like your family,' McGonagall had said.

Ginny supposed that now made Harry more like her honorary big brother: _that_, she was happy with…

When the Sorting came to an end, Professor McGonagall cleared her throat before she explained, "Now, before we get underway with the feast, we have a late transfer student joining our ranks: and so, if you would join me, please welcome Miss Serena Potter to Hogwarts: Miss Potter, please come forwards."

'Good luck, Serena,' thought Harry, crossing his fingers as he sat at the table, Ginny now being protected by Astoria, Neville and Hermione while Harry and Daphne kept their eyes on Serena.

Tapping into the Power, Harry used a mild form of Telepathy to enter his sister's mind and, from where he felt her presence, he listened to her sorting:

"_An interesting mind, you have, Miss Potter: plenty of courage, I see and a devoted loyalty to your kin. For that, the powers that be ask me to place you into Gryffindor; however, it is your brother and not them who rule Hogwarts…from the inside: therefore, I shall disregard their wishes and heed his own: your life is about to change and your path, as he knows it shall be, is your own: so, Miss Dark Elf, enjoy…_

"RAVENCLAW!"

'Thank Merlin,' thought Harry, clapping with a few of the students as Serena flashed him a smile and joined Luna at the Ravenclaw Table, both of them clearly happy to be the isolated members of Ravenclaw as the rest of the house were giving them wary looks.

'Good luck, Serena…'

**Chapter 3 and Serena and Luna are away from Harry and the Circle, but what is the reason for Luna's knowledge of Harry?**

**Also, how will this new Ginny change things and was there a specific reason for her going to the Snake Pit?**

**Keep Reading to Find Out…**

**Next Chapter: Harry is forced to endure the first nightmare of his second year: being taught by Gilderoy Lockhart; plus, Luna and Serena join the Circle for some private lessons and Ginny has a word with Harry about her past…before she makes a promise for her future;**

**Please Read and Review….**

**AN: Well, there it is: I chose Ravenclaw because I felt that Luna – who I hope the readers liked my writing of – needed at least ONE ally in that House: her relationship with Serena – for those who are just thinking about it in the **_**wrong**_** way – is more sisterly since Luna's isolation is similar to how Serena was before Harry helped change her;**

**AN 2: I'll also say it now: there is NOT going to be a diary in this CoS AU, but the Chamber IS part of it: the Diary Horcrux will make an appearance, but if you've read DoH, then you'll know why I'm not putting the Diary as a Curse in this: so, enjoy this AU adventure;**


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